The collaboration is important to strengthen the capacity of Indonesian human resources to carry out integrated cancer patient services.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Director general of health workers at the Health Ministry, Arianti Anaya, said she is optimistic that the Cancer Patient Navigation (CPN) program will improve cancer patients’ confidence to undergo treatment at domestic hospitals.

"Currently, many people still seek cancer treatment abroad. Hence, the program aims to increase the confidence of cancer patients in Indonesia to seek treatment at home," she informed during a virtual press conference here on Thursday.

The program aims to ease the implementation of cancer treatment systems in a number of countries. However, it had not been implemented in Indonesia so far.

Hence, on 2022 World Health Day on Thursday, state-owned Dharmais National Cancer Hospital signed a partnership agreement for building professional CPN services for hospitals in Indonesia along with a number of parties.

The parties were a Switzerland-based affiliate company, PT Roche Indonesia, and an Indian institution, Tata Memorial Center.

"The collaboration is important to strengthen the capacity of Indonesian human resources to carry out integrated cancer patient services," the director general added.

Meanwhile, president director of Dharmais National Cancer Hospital, Soeko Werdi Nindito, noted that 70 percent of cancer patients in Indonesia only come to the hospital when their disease has progressed to an advanced stage. This proves that the early cancer detection system in Indonesia is not working well.

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"We are proud to have a partnership with Roche and the Tata Memorial Center regarding the capacity building program for the CPN program, and we believe it will support our mission to improve the survival rate of cancer patients in Indonesia through timely diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care," he added.

The CPN program was developed by American doctor Harold Freeman in 1990 to ensure timely screening, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care for cancer patients by involving professionals to assist patients and their families in the medical treatment process.

The professionals will also provide information, counseling, and reference regarding other required medical services.

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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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